Teddy walked into the Headmistress' office, closing the door behind him, to find one James Potter sitting across from Minerva McGonagall. He glanced at Teddy briefly before looking back down at his feet, and their family friend did not seem pleased to see them. This was never a good sign.
"Er…Headmistress?" He asked, furrowing his brows. She looked particularly severe today, so Teddy thougt it best not to refer to her as 'Minnie' like he normally did. "You asked to see me?"
"Sit down, Mr. Lupin," she replied tersely, her eyes cold and staring, giving no indication of her feelings. Teddy gulped and took his seat, staring at James. 'What did we do?' Teddy mouthed to James. The black-haired boy looked away, unable to meet Teddy's gaze. What did he do, Teddy thought to himself. The little first year got himself into a great deal of trouble—and not just when he hung out with Teddy. James was a junior Marauder in his own right.
"It has come to my attention that Professor Slughorn is missing a few items from his potions storeroom," Minerva began, looking at both boys intensely. "Namely, he is missing powdered silver and moonstone as well as dittany and Valerian roots." Teddy froze, eyes growing wide.
"Those are used in—"
"Wolfsbane, potion, Mr. Lupin. A very complicated , expensive, and dangerous potion when brewed incorrectly."
Teddy glanced at James and back to his headmistress. "Well, Headmistress, it takes a great potions masters to make Wolfsbane," he began. "I'm not sure why anyone would steal those ingredients if not to make the potion, and I don't know who else in the school is qualified to brew it: If Wolfsbane was cheap and easy, everyone would make some."
"Everyone, Mr. Lupin?"
The boy gulped. "Well, no, not everyone…just werewolves, I suppose," he whispered. Why was he here? He hadn't taken any potions supplies—he had no idea how to make Wolfsbane potion, and even if he did, what would he use it for? He didn't transform, didn't need to worry about keeping his human mind—he already had it, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "Headmistress, why—"
"—You are in a NEWT potions class, aren't you Mr. Lupin? Professor Slughorn raves about your skills, has suggested to me many times you would be quite a candidate for his position when he—"
"I'm not going to become a potions master," Teddy spit, hair turning bright red. "I'd rather die than hold the same title as the greasy little—"
"—careful, Teddy," James interjected. "Tread lightly—"
"—git who ruined my father's chances of teaching: the only job he ever wanted," he fumed. McGonagall gave him a rather puzzled look. Perhaps she should instruct Harry to tell young Mr. Lupin exactly what Severus Snape had done for the good of a cause his own father had fought and died for.
"Regardless of your feelings on the matter," she pressed on, "You certainly have the talent and the motives for brewing such a potion—"
"Motives?" Teddy scoffed. "What motives? I don't know any werewolves, Minnie, and even if I did, I wouldn't dare try and brew the stuff myself—incorrectly done and it can kill people."
"And it wouldn't help you?" She asked rather softly. Teddy bristled.
"ME?!" He yelped. "What on…No, of course it wouldn't! I don't need it, I'm perfectly fine. I'm sure the bloody potion would mess me up rather terribly—it's not meant for curing minor symptoms: there are plenty of potions that help me with that every month," he argued. Minerva's thin lips twitched.
"So there we have it, Mr. Potter? I told you, your friend has no need for such a thing."
Teddy turned to face James, eyes wide and hair retuning to its natural shade of sandy-brown. "You stole from Slughorn? But…why?"
The smaller boy, who had been avoiding Teddy's gaze the entire time, finally locked eyes with him. "I just thought…I thought that it would help," he whispered. "Last month you seemed worse, less like yourself…I got worried, thought if you had the ingredients, you would make the potion and feel better."
Teddy laughed. "James, Vic and I got into a row last month—I was in a foul mood from that and compounded with my normal symptoms...It's just teenage angst!" He explained with a smile. James looked crestfallen, and Teddy could tell he had offended the boy. "Listen, James, I appreciate it—really. But I don't need the potion. If I did, the school would certainly provide it to me, but fact is I'm perfectly fine—"
"You're not—"
"I am," Teddy assured his little cousin. "Truly. If I wasn't fine, I'd tell someone, yeah? You know me—I'm not going to let anyone or anything walk over me," he grinned, rubbing James' hair as the younger boy pouted.
Minerva smiled. "Well, I'm glad you are in excellent health, Mr. Lupin. Clearly Mr. Potter cares for you greatly—I believe you have found a life-long friend."
"He's family, Minnie," Teddy insisted. "Just as my father was to his," he smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Well," Minerva continued, "As heartfelt as that is, and despite Mr. Potter's good intentions, he did still steal from a professor—I will have to give him detention."
"Seems fair," James grumbled, looking at the ground. Teddy furrowed his brows.
"Give it to me, Minnie. Ol' Sluggy's got a soft spot for me and clearly he thinks I did it anyway—besides, maybe this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back and he'll quit pestering people about positions they don't ever want."
"Teddy!" James yelped. "That's not fair, I'm the one who stole—"
"Which you only did because of me," the young man insisted. "I've had many detentions in my lifetime—one more certainly isn't going to hurt. And, if I may, I believe you've learned your lesson? That your big cousin Teddy can help himself?"
James rolled his eyes. "You couldn't help yourself last week, when you got your robe stuck in that closet—" Teddy quickly put his hand over James' mouth. They hadn't gotten busted for that prank, and he wasn't about to get a double detention.
McGonagall clearly knew that something else was at play but had neither the motivation nor the time to uncover exactly what is was. In order to catch the boys at all of their little pranks, Minerva would have to hire someone for a new position. Some things just had to be let go.
"Very well. Teddy—Mr. Lupin," she corrected, "I will see you in my office, tomorrow 7PM. Don't be late," she warned. "Consider apologizing to Horace as well—you are his favorite student."
"I thought professors weren't allowed to have favorites," James grinned. McGonagall narrowed her eyes.
"They aren't—usually," she added, giving the boys a small smile. "Now, go head out and please try to stay out of trouble."
"Too late, Minnie!"